United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Administration and
Resource Management
(3204R)
EPA202-N-00-002
August 2000
mission of the
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency is
to protect human
health and to safe-
guard the natural
environment—air,
water, and land—upon
which life depends.
Keeping an Environmental Agenda
There is a lot of news to share about the multitude of exciting environmental
activities occurring throughout EPA. In this issue of Greening EPA, find out
about the keynote speaker at the upcoming Laboratories for the 21 st
Century conference; the Manchester, Washington, laboratory's green energy
purchase and water reduction; the Ada, Oklahoma, laboratory's installation
of a geothermal heat pump; and much, much more.
—Phil Wirdzek, FMSD
Laboratories for the 21st Century
Conference Coming Soon
This year's Laboratories
for the 21 st Century
(Labs21) conference in
San Francisco, California,
will feature David Gottfried,
a nationally recognized
green buildings expert, as
the keynote speaker. The
conference will take place
September 6 to 8 at the
Renaissance Pare Hotel.
David Gottfried is the
founder and CEO of World-
Build Technologies Inc.
Worldbuild has served as the
development consultant for
many of the leading and award
winning green building pro-
jects in the United States. Mr.
Gottfried also is the founder
of the U.S. and World Green
Building Councils. He is a
frequent speaker and author
on green building and mar-
ket transformation topics.
The conference will help
private and public sector lab-
oratory designers, engineers,
owners, and operators col-
laborate to reduce costs and
increase laboratory design
and operation efficiency. It will
feature presentations on energy
and water efficiency; renew-
able energy; and designing,
building, and operating low-
energy, resource-efficient
laboratory buildings.
During the conference,
plans for the Labs 21 Initiative
will be announced. The ini-
tiative, launched at last year's
conference, is a voluntary
effort coordinated by EPA
and the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) to improve the
environmental performance
of U.S. laboratories. The
initiative focuses on improving
energy and water efficiency,
encouraging use of renewable
energy sources, and promot-
ing environmental steward-
ship in U.S. laboratories.
continued on page 3
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GREENING EPA
page
Ada to Install Geothermal Heat Pump
In an effort to reduce ener-
gy consumption at its Ada,
Oklahoma, laboratory, EPA
expects to award an energy
savings performance contract
(ESPC) to Johnson Controls,
Inc., by late summer 2000. In
addition to other improve-
ments, the ESPC will be used
to finance a geotherma heat
pump (GHP) that will replace
the existing HVAC system.
The GHP system also will be
used to provide domestic hot
water. Ada will be among the
first laboratories to use this
innovative technology.
The GHP technology uses
the Earth's temperature as a
heat source or sink depend-
ing on outside ambient tem-
peratures. This system will
utilize a geothermal field with
over two hundred wells. Each
well will be at least 250 feet
deep and use water-to-water
heat pumps. A series of pipes
called "loops" are buried in
the wells and circulate fluid to
transfer heat. The pipes absorb
heat from the ground when
ambient temperatures are low
and relinquish heat to the
ground when ambient tem-
peratures are high.
GHPs do not convert elec-
tricity to heat, but rather use
electricity to move thermal
energy between the building
and the ground. Because
GHPs only use electricity to
transfer thermal energy, less
electricity than conventional
heating and cooling systems is
required to power the system.
This technology reduces elec-
trical consumption between
30 percent and 60 percent.
EPA expects the HVAC and
other upgrades at Ada to
reduce energy consumption
in excess of 60 percent, a
reduction of 1.7 million kilo-
watt hours per year.
The installation of the GHP
will eliminate the use of natural
gas and significantly lower
energy consumption in the
Ada laboratory, thereby
reducing carbon dioxide pro-
duction by 68.6 million pounds,
sulfur oxides by 1 1 million
pounds, nitrogen oxides by 1 7.3
million pounds, and carbon
monoxide by 84 million pounds
over the useful life of the sys-
tem. In addition, geothermal
systems require lower mainte-
nance than conventional sys-
tems. EPA estimates the
energy costs for operating the
laboratory with the GHP will
be less than $1 per square
foot compared to the $2.72
per square foot spent in fiscal
year 1999.
The GHP system eliminates
the need for a boiler or cool-
ing tower. The Ada laboratory
currently has a cooling tower,
which consumes more than
51,000 gallons annually of
domestic potable water as an
HVAC heat transfer medium.
By eliminating the need for a
cooling tower, the geothermal
system will reduce the lab's
water consumption by more
than 80 percent. This reduction
in water usage will save more
than 938,000 gallons of
coo ing tower water over the
estimated ife of the system.
For more information,
contact Phil Wirdzek at
202 564-2094 or
. m
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bedrock beneath the
Ada laboratory will
tap stored energy in
the rock to keep the
building an ideal
temperature year-round.
|n Winter
The geothermal system pumps
water to a depth of at least
250 feet, where it warms to
about 56 degrees. Pumped
back to the surface, the water
passes through a heat
exchanger where it gives its
heat to a compressed gas,
which grows progressively hot-
ter. The gas is then circulated
through fans to warm a room,
or through coils adjacent to
water pipes to produce hot
water.
•— In Summer
With a flick of a switch, the
same system blows the hot air
in a room through a similar
heat exchanger, passing the
energy to the water and low-
ering the temperature of the
room. This makes a separate
air-conditioning system unnec-
essary. The unwanted heat is
then carried back into the
Earth.
-------
GREENING EPA
page
Conference continued from page 1
The initiative currently
consists of three components:
• Labs21 Partnership
Program: EPA and DOE
will establish voluntary
partnerships with interest-
ed public and private
sector labs.
• Training: The Labs21
team will provide training
or other opportunities to
exchange technical infor-
mation with initiative
participants.
• Best Practices: EPA and
DOE will create an
Internet-accessible com-
pendium of best practices,
case studies, and energy
and water data docu-
menting innovations in
laboratory design and
operation.
The overall goal of
Labs21 is to create environ-
mental showcase laboratories
by encouraging laboratory
owners, operators, and
designers to adopt the
"Labs21
approach."
This approach
involves an ini-
tial evaluation
of a laborato-
ry s energy
use from a
holistic or
comprehensive
perspective
when consid-
ering efficiency improvements.
This requires examining all of
a laboratory's energy systems
and wastes, including HVAC
and electrical power supply,
rather than focusing on spe-
cific building components.
Register now
for the Labs21
Annual Conference,
September 6 to 8
at the Renaissance Pare
Hotel in San Francisco,
California
Using the dynamic
Labs21 approach, EPA and
DOE believe laboratories
can realize significant cost
savings and environmental
benefits. Assuming only 25
percent of
U.S. labora-
tories achieve
a 60 percent
reduction in
energy con-
sumption, the
country could
reduce its
annual ener-
gy consump-
tion by 84
trillion Btus. An efficiency
improvement of this magni-
tude would save $1.25 bi -
lion annually. It would also
decrease carbon emissions
by 1 6.4 million tons, which
is equivalent to removing
3 million automobiles from
U.S. highways.
The conference's regis-
tration deadline is August 25,
but interested participants are
encouraged to register early
because of limited seating.
To register for the confer-
ence or to learn more about
the Labs21 initiative, visit
.
Additional conference
sponsors include: National
Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, American Institute
of Architects Committee on
the Environment, Nationa
Association of Physicians for
the Environment, Pacific Gas
and Electric Co., and U.S.
Green Building Counci. •
EPA Maintains its Leading Role in Green Power
Maintaining its role as
a "green power"
leader, EPA has
committed to increase its
green power electricity pur-
chases from 1 7 percent to
100 percent in its Golden,
Colorado, laboratory. This
commitment was made as
part of the Denver Wind
Purchase Initiative. The initia-
tive encourages agencies in
the Greater Denver area to
purchase 25 percent of their
electricity from wind power;
large agencies, such as EPA,
were requested to purchase
1 0 percent of their electricity
from wind.
The cost of purchasing
100 percent wind power will
be approximately $50,000
annually. The lab previously
paid approximately $9,600 a
year for its wind electricity, as
part of a 3-year contract with
Public Service Company to
purchase 320 "blocks" of
green power. Wind turbines
generate the electricity
through a project called
Windsource.™
To offset the increased
cost of purchasing 100 per-
cent renewable energy, the
Golden laboratory is looking
for money-saving projects.
Purchasing natural gas
through the General Services
Administration's gas program
has saved the lab approxi-
mately $15,000 during the
first half of fiscal year 2000.
The laboratory estimates full-
year savings of approximately
$20,000. Additiona money-
saving projects include taking
a water audit and making the
heating and cooling systems
more efficient. There also are
plans to look at successful
projects implemented at other
EPA laboratories to determine
if similar efforts could work at
the Golden laboratory.
For more information on
the Golden laboratory's 100
percent green power purchase,
please contact Sue Datson at
303 312-7087 or Dianne
Thiel at 303 312-6389. A
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GREENING EPA
page
EPA's Manchester Laboratory Goes Totally Green
Through a grant agree-
ment with the Bonneville
Environmental Foundation
(BEF), EPA's laboratory in
Manchester, Washington, will
be the first federal facility in
the Northwest United States
credited with using 100 per-
cent "green" power. Already
using power generated by an
onsite solar cell array, the lab
is going a step further by
contracting for 100 percent
wind power. As a result, BEF,
working with Bonneville
Power, will develop a 700-
kilowatt wind turbine in either
Eastern Oregon or Wyoming.
BEF is an independent non-
profit foundation coordinating
with utilities and customers in
the region to develop renew-
able energy resources.
The Manchester lab's
green power "purchase" is
unique because Washington
has not deregulated its elec-
tric industry, unlike other
states where EPA is buying
green power. This means
the lab is required to pur-
chase electricity from its tra-
ditional utility company,
Puget Sound Energy. Based
on current market prices,
the Manchester lab deter-
mined that purchasing
green power would cost
approximately 2.2 cents
more per kilowatt hour, rep-
resenting an additional
$50,000 annually. EPA
decided to issue an equiva-
lent amount to BEF in the
form of a 1 0-year grant to
build the wind turbine.
The turbine, scheduled to
go on line in October 2000,
will produce approximately
2.1 million kilowatt hours of
electricity annually. That is
enough energy to power the
Manchester lab, although the
turbine will not power the lab
directly. As with other power
suppliers, the BEF wind tur-
bine will produce power
available to everyone using
the regional electrical grid.
The additional generating
capacity will be significantly
cleaner and will offset tradi-
tional electricity sources, such
as burning fossil fuels.
Working with BEF, the
Manchester lab is contribut-
ing to a national effort to
decrease greenhouse gas
emissions, thereby slowing
the rate of global climate
change. Although the
Northwest already produces
green energy with large
hydroelectric dams, most of
these dams adversely affect
river ecosystems and produce
carbon dioxide emissions.
Using electricity generated by
the wind turbine will reduce
carbon dioxide emissions,
one of the primary polluting
greenhouse gases, by
approximately 1,500 tons
annually. This is equivalent to
taking approximately 260
cars off the road each year.
For more information
about the Manchester lab's
green power agreement, con-
tact Carolyn Gangmark at
206 553-4072. 1
Reducing Water and Saving Money in Manchester
EPA's Manchester lab is
saving water and money.
After completing two
water efficiency upgrade pro-
jects, lab personnel report a
66 percent reduction in water
consumption. The resulting
savings have dropped the
facility's average water bill
from $596 to $203 per month.
Average water consumption
rates have also dropped sig-
nificantly, from 204,000 to
70,000 gallons per month.
To realize these savings,
the lab first replaced its 4-inch
PVC water lines, which lead
to the lab's outlying build-
ings, with new 6-inch ductile
iron water lines. Previously,
water surges would push the
water lines beyond their pres-
sure per square inch (psi)
capacities, causing leaks that
released as much as 250,000
gallons of water before being
detected and repaired. Using
larger lines made of stronger
material has significantly
reduced the number of water
line breaks and reduced the
lab's overall water consump-
tion rate.
The second project involved
installing a new water cooling
tower. Replacing the former
water coo ing tower, which
was approximately 20 years
old, with a new, more effi-
cient tower, reduced the
water volume needed to run
the coo ing system.
For more information
on these projects and the
Manchester lab's water
reduction success story,
contact Ron Blair at
360 871 -8704. A
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GREENING EPA | page 5
Fort Meade Facility to Pursue ISO 14001 Certification
It's official! EPA's
Environmental Service
Center (ESC) at Fort
Meade, Maryland, will be
the first Agency facility to
pursue certification of its
environmental management
system (EMS) under the
international ISO 14001
standard.
While the timing of the
announcement coincides with
the signing of Executive Order
13148, Greening the Govern-
ment Through Leadership in
Environmental Management
(April 26, 2000), the idea was
actually born back in 1 996,
when plans for the facility were
still on the drawing board. Greg
Allen, the faci ity's Quality
Assurance Director and EMS
Implementation Team Leader,
pitched the idea to Patricia
Krantz (Director, EPA Region
III Office of Analytical Services
Quality Assurance) and Mary
McKiel (EPA Standards
Executive).
"Patricia Krantz endorsed
the concept from the start
and helped solidify manage-
ment support for the project
here," Allen explains.
McKiel, who at the time
was co-chair of the U.S. del-
egation to the ISO commit-
tee developing the 14001
standard, was also very
enthusiastic. "She helped us
understand what was
involved in building an EMS
and to see the potentia ben-
efits," Allen says.
The Fort Meade EMS is
unusua in that it will
encompass several labs
operated by different organi-
zations in EPA. The two main
tenants in the 140,000-
square-foot facility are the
Region III Office of Analytical
Services and Quality Assurance
(OASQA), which operates
the Region III analytical lab,
and the Office of Prevention,
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
(OPPTS), which runs the
Analytical Chemistry Branch
cally a regulatory and
enforcement lab that sup-
ports all of the EPA pro-
grams, while on the OPPTS
side, they do a number of
things that are vital to the
national pesticide and disin-
fectant programs. Very differ-
ent types of labs, but all
under one roof. And soon to
be all under one EMS. We
felt that it was important to
have the EMS cover the
We felt that it was important to have the
EMS cover the entire facility. We could have
limited it to just one lab, but then we would
have our stakeholders wondering about what
goes on in the other part of the building."
Laboratory and the Anti-
microbial and Plant Pathogen
Branch Laboratory. Other
occupants include the EPA
Criminal Investigation
Division, the EPA interagency
Mid-Atlantic Integrated
Assessment Team, the EPA
Region III Facility Inspection
Program, the EPA Region III
Office of Policy Management,
the District of Columbia
government, and various
contractors.
"That's the challenge and
the thing that should make
this quite an interesting
process," says Skip Weisberg,
faci ity Environmental Health
& Safety manager. "On the
OASQA side, they are basi-
entire facility. We could have
limited it to just one lab, but
then we would have our
stakeholders wondering
about what goes on in the
other part of the building."
To coordinate the effort,
Allen formed a 9-person
implementation team with
representatives from across
the facility. There is one at-
large position that will be
filled at a later date, possibly
by a community representative.
So far, Allen has made
presentations to OPPTS and
OASQA management and
led a half-day, all-hands
meeting for OASQA to
announce the program and
help build awareness. A
steering committee consist-
ing of representatives from
the facility's Board of
Directors was also convened
to draft an environmental
policy for the facility. The
policy statement is the cor-
nerstone of most EMS efforts
and guides the entire EMS
development effort. The pol-
icy was finalized after
employees at ESC were
given an opportunity to
comment.
The implementation
schedule calls for EMS
development work to begin
shortly and run through next
February. A consulting team
consisting of Marasco
Newton Group LTD,
Internationa Resources
Group, and Global
Environment and Technology
Foundation, has been
selected to provide imple-
mentation training, internal
auditor training, and a certi-
fication readiness assess-
ment. If all goes well, the
facility should be ready for
certification toward the end
of 2001.
The ESC participants
hope to learn from the EMS
implementation at Fort
Meade and become a
resource to other EPA facili-
ties and federal agencies
implementing the EMS
requirements of Executive
Order 13148.
For more information,
contact Howard Wilson
at 202 564-1646 or
.
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GREENING EPA
page
EPA Builds on Sustainable Ground
To showcase EPA's wide-
ranging efforts to protect
human health and the
environment, EPA's Office of
Administration and Resources
Management (OARM)
designed and built a model
green home. Under the direc-
tion of Jessie Ulin, Chief of
Staff to OARM Assistant
Administrator Romulo L. Diaz,
Jr., the Office of Air, the
Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics, and the Office of
Water worked closely with
OARM to complete the pro-
ject. The home features a
wide variety of EPA initiatives
promoting energy efficiency,
indoor air quality, materials
reuse and recycling, and
reduced exposure to toxic
substances. It was unveiled as
part of EPA's Earth Day dis-
play on the National Mall in
Washington, DC, where it
was seen by more than
280,000 people. An addi-
tional 80,000 people visited
it 2 weeks later during Public
Service Recognition Week.
The 50-foot-long, 8-foot-
high model blends reality and
imagination by juxtaposing
walls covered in blue print
designs with actual house-
hold items. Featuring a gar-
den, living room, kitchen,
child's bedroom, and utility
room, the Earth House
included products selected for
their energy efficiency, recycled-
content, increased durability,
minimal chemical content, or
other environmentally prefer-
able features.
Inside and out, the Earth
House contains a broad
assortment of green products
and materials. More than 100
signs highlighted the environ-
mental products, including
interior walls coated with
low-volatile organic com-
pound (VOC) paint, Energy
Star®-labeled electronics and
appliances, recycled-content
products, and organic cloth-
ing and linens.
Desks and tables made from
salvaged packing crates, a
chair manufactured from dis-
carded seat belts, a child's
"bean-bag" chair stuffed with
plastic grocery bags, and cer-
tified sustainable-materials
cabinetry are just a few of the
additional features in the
house.
Accompanying the house
was a 50-foot time line trac-
ing thirty years of environ-
mental improvements since
President Nixon founded the
Agency in 1 970. EPA plans to
display both the house and
the time ine at events around
the country. •
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GREENING EPA
page
GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS
T
he following products and materials represent a few of
the items highlighted in EPA's exhibit.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
• Recycled-Content Siding—Made of recycled cellulose
fibers and concrete, this durable siding does not need
^chemical treatments to protect against moisture
or pest infestations.
• Recycled-Content Paint—Rather than
landfilling or incinerating used paint,
hazardous waste centers collect and
blend used paint for reuse. Recycled -
content paints are available in a wide
variety of colors.
• Recycled-Content Steel Studs—Made
of recycled scrap steel, steel studs are a
strong, light weight and naturally flame retardant, elimi-
nating the need to chemically treat wood to meet fire
safety standards.
Low-VOC Paint—Low-VOC paints do not contain the
heavy metals or hazardous organic compounds found in
traditional paints. The selected paint also reduces expo-
sure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead and
substances such as formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene
that threaten indoor air quality.
Strawboard Wall—Pressed straw held together with a
low-volatile organic compound, formaldehyde-free
adhesive, provides a solid, durable
alternative to traditional construction
materials for interior walls.
Recycled-Content Insulation—Offered
in various forms, recycled content insula-
tion improves energy efficiency. The Earth
House featured recycled-content fiberglass
insulation made from recycled glass and
cellulose insulation made from recycled
newspapers.
ROOFING MATERIALS
• Photovoltaic Shingles—By converting absorbed light
into electricity, photovoltaic shingles reduce the need to
depend on electricity derived from fossil fuels.
• Highly Reflective, Recycled-Content Shingles—Made
from recycled aluminum, the reflective
shingles reduce the heat absorbed by a
traditional dark colored roof, reducing
air conditioning demand by as much as
1 5 percent.
• Passive Solar Roof—Translucent
shingles trap the heat generated by
the sun's rays inside a passive solar
roof. The trapped heat can be used to
heat or cool homes.
• Recycled-Content Paper Shingles—Shingles made
from recycled paper and asphalt provide a weather-
resistant option to conventional roofing materials.
FLOORING
• Bamboo—With the ability to grow up to 18 inches per
day, sustainably harvested bamboo serves as an attrac-
tive, durable alternative to traditional oak or walnut
floors.
• Cork—Obtained by stripping the bark of a cork tree,
this sustainable material can be used as flooring for
homes. Cork can be harvested every nine years without
causing harm to the tree.
1 Salvaged wood—Salvaged wood, recovered
from the beams and timbers of old barns, mills,
and factories, reduces the
need to harvest viable trees
for applications such as
wood floors, trim, and
molding.
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GREENING EPA
page
Executive Order Promotes Use of Biobased Products
and Bioenergy Technologies
On August 12, 1999,
Executive Order
(EO) 13134,
Developing and Promoting
Biobased Products and
Bioenergy, was issued to
accelerate the use and devel-
opment of biobased products
and bioenergy technologies.
The EO emphasizes the eco-
nomic and environmental
importance of biobased
products and bioenergy and
develops a nationa strategy
that includes research, devel-
opment, and private sector
incentives to stimulate
creation and adoption of
biobased technologies. As
defined by the EO, biobased
products are commercial or
industrial products other than
food or feed that use biologi-
cal products, or renewable
domestic agriculture (plant,
animal, and marine) or
forestry materials. Bioenergy
uses biomass—any organic
matter available on a renew-
able or recurring basis—in
the production of energy.
EO 13134 established an
interagency counci, an advi-
sory committee, a working
group within the Departments
of Agriculture and Energy, and
a National Biobased Product
and Bioenergy Coordination
Office to develop a strategy
for making biobased prod-
ucts and bioenergy cost-
competitive in national and
international markets. The
interagency counci will pre-
pare an annua strategic plan
outlining national goals,
including promoting economic
growth, energy security, and
environmental sustainability
and protection, plus a strate-
gy for implementing them.
The council will include the
EPA administrator.
The advisory committee will
provide information and advice
to the council. The committee
will comprise up to 20 mem-
bers representing stakeholders
from the farm, forestry, and
chemical manufacturing indus-
tries; energy companies and
electric utilities; environmental
and conservation organiza-
tions; and university research
communities.
The National Coordination
Office will handle day-to-day
coordination of the project.
The office will implement the
strategic plans, coordinate
research of federal and non-
federal facilities, and dissemi-
nate information about
bioproducts and bioenergy
to business sectors, the uni-
versity community, and public
interest groups.
Developing biobased
products and bioenergy tech-
nologies could create new
economic opportunities,
enhance energy security, and
meet environmental chal-
lenges. Biobased products
and bioenergy can potentially
create major sources of elec-
tricity, fue , and chemicals
from renewable farm and
forestry resources. In turn,
employment opportunities for
farmers, ranchers, and foresters
could expand. Using biobased
products and bioenergy also
could reduce the nation's
dependence on foreign oi,
help reduce greenhouse gas
production, prevent erosion,
and improve air and water
quality.
To obtain a copy of the
EO, go to . •
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GREENING EPA
page
Ann Arbor Leads the Way to Environmental Efficiency
EPA's National Vehicle and
Fuel Emissions laboratory
in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
is truly a "Laboratory for the
21st Century." EPA is con-
ducting a major energy effi-
ciency upgrade at this
1 50,000-square-foot facility,
which will be completed by
September 2000.
"Right now things are
moving along at a fast pace,"
said Dick Lawrence, director
of facilities engineering. "The
new cooling tower is in and
new heater-chillers have been
installed. We also are replac-
ing three to four air handling
units each month."
Prior to these efforts, the
lab required 2.5 megawatts
of electricity, consumed ener-
gy at a rate exceeding
700,000 Btus per gross-
square-foot, and consumed
31 million gallons of water
annually at a cost to taxpay-
ers of more than $1 million
per year. The modifications
being implemented are guar-
anteed to:
• Reduce annual electrical
demand by 68 percent.
• Reduce energy use per
gross-square-foot by 66
percent.
• Reduce annua water con-
sumption by 80 percent.
• Reduce the annual utility
bill by 74 percent (a sav-
ings of more than
$800,000 annually).
• Provide a simple payback
on the contractor's capital
expenditure in less than
1 0 years.
Electricity usage in the lab
is already down, although
exact figures are not yet
available. "Over the summer
we should be rid of all of the
old peaks and be down from
two megawatts to less than
one," said Lawrence.
Despite the temporary
inconveniences and disrup-
tions during the retrofit,
Lawrence believes the benefits
will far exceed the unpleas-
antries. "Once it's done and
running smoothly," he says,
"the changes will be invisible
to occupants."
Based on this project's
expected environmental and
economic successes, EPA is
beginning to retrofit several
other laboratories, including
its Ada, Oklahoma, lab.B
David Leiter (left), Bill Wise
(middle), and Steve Dorer (right)
winning an award for the Ann
Arbor facility at the 1 999
Federal Energy and Water
Management Awards Ceremony
Federal Agencies Required to Phase Out ODSs
Executive Order 1 31 48
(April 2000) mandates
all federal agencies to
phase out the use of Class 1
ozone-depleting substances
(ODSs) by December 31,
2010. Each agency is required
to submit an action plan to
evaluate its current and future
use of ODSs and to replace
these substances with more
environmentally preferable
alternatives. Plans also should
include information on an
agencies' recycling policies
for ODSs, as well as targeted
refrigerants and halons. The
Executive Order encourages
agencies to develop exemplary
practices and to disseminate
information about successful
phaseouts for other agencies
and industries to follow.
EPA's Significant New
Alternatives Policy (SNAP)
program can help agencies
determine what alternatives to
use for their Class 1 ODSs.
Class 1 substances are chem-
icals with an ozone-depleting
potential (ODP) of 0.2 or
greater. Alternatives should
be chosen based on safety of
the substance, cost-effective-
ness, and environmental
attributes.
Substances required to
run existing machinery whose
life spans exceed the 201 0
deadline are not subject to
the phaseout. For example,
motor vehicle air conditioning
systems may still use R-134a,
a common refrigerant. Such
substances should be recov-
ered and recycled, and not
allowed to vent into the
atmosphere.
For a list of Class 1
ODSs, visit . For
more information about
environmental alternative
substances, visit SNAP's Web
site at . •
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GREENING EPA
page
RTF Facility Wins GSA Award for Construction Waste
EPA's newest facility in
Research Triangle Park
(RTP), North Carolina, is
a winner. And it is not even
finished yet. The research and
laboratory facility recently
won the Demolition Derby
Award presented by the
General Services
Administration (GSA). The
award recognizes successful
construction waste manage-
ment plans.
"Construction and demoli-
tion waste accounts for about
a quarter of all waste in this
country," explained Chris
Long of EPA's RTP team.
"GSA is raising that issue with
this award and recognizing
efforts to reduce that figure."
So far, EPA's RTP facility
has made great strides
toward reducing waste, recy-
cling more than 80 percent
of its construction debris.
That amounts to 1 8.6 million
pounds diverted from the
landfill. Waste items recycled
include concrete, masonry,
wood, metals, gypsum wall
board, cardboard, and
paper. Many of these materi-
als are used elsewhere on the
construction site. Old bricks
and cinder blocks are
crushed and used as backfill
around the site; wood pallets,
crates, and forms are turned
into mulch; and gypsum wall
board is ground up and used
as an amendment to the clay-
like Carolina soil.
The RTP team received the
award April 19 at GSA's
Annual Environmental Awards
Ceremony in Washington,
DC. Team members are Mike
Pope, Steve Smith, Buddy
Hill, Helen Johnson, Linda
Shaw, Freeman Randolph,
Diane Brittain, Michelle Price,
Chris Long, Pete Schubert,
and Kay Lantrip.
Collaboration between all
parties involved in the project
is key to the success of EPA's
construction waste manage-
ment plan. EPA worked close-
ly with GSA, the contractor,
and local community groups.
"Waste is a shared communi-
ty problem—or resource,
depending on how you look
at it," Long said.
One example of the part-
nership between the contrac-
tor and EPA occurred with the
project's cement production.
Instead of trucking mixed
cement to the site, the con-
tractor mixed the cement on
site, avoiding nearly 75,000
miles of cement mixer truck
trips, conserving fossi fuels,
and preventing air pollution.
Additionally, the contractor
used a Roto-Reclaimer to
separate residual cement
back into sand, gravel, and
Portland mix. "We had a zero
waste operation for con-
crete," Long said. "That pro-
ject illustrates what you can
do when you work [with the
contractor]."
In addition to construction
debris recycling, the RTP facil-
ity incorporates extensive
environmental features into
every aspect of the building
and its surroundings. Low
volatile organic compound
paints, sealants, and adhe-
sives improve indoor air qual-
ity; direct digital control and
high-efficiency boilers and
chillers ensure peak energy
performance; recycled carpet
and other building materials
conserve virgin materials and
divert waste from landfills.
Outside the building, EPA
minimized ground clearing to
preserve forests, streams, and
wetlands, and a plant rescue
saved thousands of native
plants. Additionally, the cam-
pus will be designated and
maintained as a Corporate
Wildlife Habitat, offering a
safe haven to indigenous
wildlife and plant life. "We
look for opportunities every-
where to do the environmen-
tally correct thing," Long
explained.
In an effort to help others
achieve similar environmental
results, the RTP team is draft-
ing a book outlining the facil-
ity's design process. Once
construction is completed, the
team hopes to include
lessons learned about waste
management and product
selection in the publication.
For more information on the
construction of this facility,
read Leading by Example at
.
The facility is expected to
be completed by January
2001. *
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GREENING EPA
page
EPA's Energy Star-Rated Buildings
ENERGY STAR® is a
voluntary partnership
program established
among EPA, the U.S.
Department of Energy, prod-
uct manufacturers, local utili-
ties, and retailers. Products
and buildings that receive the
ENERGY STAR rating use less
energy than other products,
save money on utility bills,
and help protect the environ-
ment. Each year, these part-
nerships save more than $1
billion in energy costs while
also decreasing air pollution.
EPA's New York, New York;
Chicago, Illinois; and Denver,
Colorado, office buildings
currently boast the prestigious
ENERGY STAR label. There
are currently 192 buildings
recognized under this
program.
Some might wonder why
more EPA buildings have not
received this distinction.
According to Rose Odom at
Aspen Systems (a contractor
to EPA), other EPA buildings
might not have applied yet to
receive ENERGY STAR certifi-
cation. According to Odom,
it is the individual responsibi -
ity of each building to seek
approval under the program.
Eligibility requirements for
ENERGY STAR labeling are
also quite stringent. Buildings
must conform to strict area
and usage restrictions and
collect detailed energy data.
To find out if your building
might qualify to participate in
the ENERGY STAR bench-
marking process and receive
a label, visit .
To obtain the ENERGY
STAR label, buildings must
complete the benchmarking
process, receive a score of
75 or higher in the evalua-
tion, and maintain an indoor
environment consistent with
industry standards. Once a
building has done this, it
receives an ENERGY STAR
plaque to display on site. M
DOE Anticipates Summer Power Outages
With another hot sum-
mer approaching
fast, the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE)
is promoting energy-efficient
practices and renewable
energy sources to combat
anticipated power outages.
As the weather grows
warmer, there is increased
demand on regional power
grids and an inadequate
power supply. Utility compa-
nies have avoided increasing
generating capacities to save
money in anticipation of
competition from upcoming
deregulation. In growing
urban areas, a greater
dependence on electricity for
information technology and
space-conditioning is placing
greater demands on the
power supply. In some cases,
this demand exceeds the cur-
rent generation capacities. As
a result, electrica demand is
expected to overwhelm the
capacity of power grids and
could produce power out-
ages in densely populated
regions of the country.
To alleviate strain on the
power grid, DOE is urging
consumers to reduce energy
demands by using energy-
efficient appliances and prac-
ticing energy conservation. In
addition, DOE is calling for
lawmakers and regulators to
lower market barriers for
renewable energy technolo-
gies. DOE personnel hope
that as deregulation spreads,
"greener" generating facilities
will be built to meet the
country's growing energy
needs. By removing obstacles
to renewable energy tech-
nologies, green power can
satisfy energy demand and
help prevent power outages
from recurring. •
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GREENING EPA
page
1 2
Events Calendar
ENERGY 2000
Where: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
When: August 21 to 23, 2000
Contact: FEMP Workshop Hotline, 703
243-8343
Web: www.energy2000.ee.doe.gov
Energy 2000 is an energy efficiency work-
shop and exposition sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Energy's Federal Energy
Management Program, the Department of
Defense, and the General Services
Administration. Energy 2000 will explore
energy projects, energy issues, selling
energy projects, and alternative financing.
The conference also will have panel dis-
cussions, energy audits, new technology
displays, and networking opportunities.
LABORATORIES FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY
Where: San Francisco, California
When: September 6 to 8, 2000
Contact: FEMP Workshop Hotline,
703 243-8343
Web: www.epa.gov/labs21century
Sponsored by EPA and the U.S.
Department of Energy, the Labs21 confer-
ence will help private and public sector
laboratory designers, engineers, owners,
and operators work together to reduce
costs and increase laboratory design and
operational efficiency. There will be pre-
sentations on environmental efficiency,
renewable energy, and designing, building,
and operating low-energy and resource-
efficient laboratory buildings.
2000 WORLD ENERGY
ENGINEERING CONGRESS
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
When: October 25 to 27, 2000
Contact: Association of Energy Engineers,
920 338-0950
Web: www.aeecenter.org/shows
The World Energy Engineering Congress is
comprised of three companion programs:
the Geoexchange 2000, Combined Heat
& Power 2000/1 5th Cogeneration
Congress, and the Energy Service & Power
Marketing Center 2000. The tota pro-
gram covers leading edge technologies,
efficiency improvement strategies, cogen-
eration, and on-site generation.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(3204R)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
) Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
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